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Review on Anwar Shaikh's
ISLAM: The Arab National
Movement
By Bhagawandas P. Lathi
From: India Post
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AN INSIDER'S VIEW OF ISLAM
This scholarly critique of Islam, written
by Anwar Shaikh, an Urdu poet and an Islamic theologian from Pakistan, now
residing in Great Britain, is the most riveting book on Islam that I ever read.
Generally speaking, critical books exposing the truth about Islam are not easy
to find because the author immediately earns a fatwa on his life. Anwar Shaikh,
who was once a pious Muslim, has a dubious honor of being a fatwaee (who is
under a fatwa).
Shaikh was trained to be an Islamic cleric (Mullah),
but along the way he discovered the sad truth about Islam, which greatly
disillusioned him. Ever since, he has been writing about Islam for his
co-religionists to awake them to the truth about Islam. This book will shock
many, who have been brought up on the constant Mantra of Hindu Gurus that all
religions teach the same (nice) things, etc. It will force them to have a
first-hand look at the primary Islamic sources. Hindus (and Muslims too) would
do well to look at the Quran (and the Hadis) to discover the truth about Islam
for themselves. This book demonstrates the awesome power of brainwashing which
can easily overpower natural human decency, compassion, and reasoning ability.
It explains how decent people can do horrible things to other innocent humans
without any remorse and feel it as a duty commanded by God. It helps in
understanding the blood-soaked Islamic history and the puzzling behavior of
Muslims all over the world in general, and on Indian subcontinent in particular.
It explains what makes Islam tick.
The main thesis of Shaikh in his own words is
"Islam has caused more damage to the national dignity and honor of Non-Arab
Muslims than any other calamity, yet they believe that this faith is the
ambassador of equality and human love. This is a fiction which has been
presented as a fact with an unparalleled skill. The Islamic love of mankind is a
myth of even greater proportion. Hatred of non-Muslims is the pivot of the
Islamic existence. It not only declares all dissidents as the denizens of hell
but also seeks to ignite a permanent fire of tension between Muslims and non-
Muslims; it is far more lethal than Karl Marx's idea of social conflict."
He further states that "Islam does not qualify as
a religion. It is an instrument for Arabs to colonize the world in the name of
Islam. Moreover, it has succeeded remarkably well in brainwashing non-Arab
Muslims, who have divested themselves of all pride for their own heritage,
ancestry, language, dress and customs. They have no loyalty to their motherland
for being devoid of national honor. Indeed, Muslims take pride in vandalizing
their ancient heritage from the pagan era to adore the Arab sanctity,
superiority and supremacy. Its spring is the mythical intercessory Power of the
Prophet Muhammad. This psychological paralysis caused the decline of great Asian
nations such as India, Egypt and Iran, which once constituted as the great
gushers of civilization but now rank as members of the "Third World"
for losing their national identity and zest under the influence of Islam."
The book opens with a perceptive statement "Islam
is an offshoot of the Semitic culture, which is an expression of man's
aggressive behavior." All the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam) have conducted repeated genocide in the name of their revealed
religions. In revealed religions, God reveals His will and the only Truth to
mankind through his agent, the Prophet, or the Son. There is no scope for
dissent because the final word is contained in the revelation. Hence, official
dogmas, blasphemy, heretics and massacres are inevitable.
The author believes the concept of revelation is the
pivot of Semitic culture. The tradition of Semitic chiefs to claim as God's
representative, viceroy goes back to mythical times well before 3000 years. This
tradition was maintained masterfully by assigning to the deity incredible powers
and attributes to frighten people into submission. Thus, the king could do
anything in the name of revelation without much danger of rebellion. God's
messenger is God's servant in name only. In practice, he is God's superior.
Basically, revelation is nothing but a tool of dominance. The two Prophets,
Moses and Muhammad used this device of revelation with great skill to their
advantage. A prophet desperately wants to be loved and adored as God but without
being called so. A prophet's urge of dominance is much stronger than that of a
secular suzerain; a prophet wants to become immortal and wants to command people
from the grave and desires to be worshipped exclusively. Muhammad even warns
people that he was the last prophet, and any prophet after him would be an
impostor. However, to be remembered and loved after his death, he must have a
devoted band of followers. This is why a prophet also has to be a national
leader, openly or discretely.
Every person who seeks dominance as a prophet through
the device of revelation creates a god of his own, and when another person
aspires to be a prophet he has to demolish the god of his competitor and erect
the image of new god to establish his Prophethood to operate the device of
revelation. This truth is well illustrated by the examples of Assur (of
Shalmanester III), Marduk (national god of Babylonia), Yahweh (of Moses) and
Allah (of Muhammad). The Author then analyzes Moses' prophethood to show how it
follows exactly this pattern. Then he analyzes Mohammed's claim in details.
Mohammed's religion was named Islam and his God was
Allah. Muhammad claimed that all earlier prophets (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses,
Jesus) were Muslims, whose teachings were corrupted by their followers. So he
adopted most of the Jewish principles and practices with a view to renovating
the old religion of God. He made great effort to convert Jews. In earlier part
of the Quran, Jews are eulogized and treated with lavish praise, even making
Jerusalem, the KIBLA. Mohammed adored Abraham, the common ancestor of the Jews
and the Arabs. When the Jews ignored his loving approach, they were damned (in
later part of the Quran) with the apostolic wrath: "God has cursed them for
their unbelief." Jerusalem was demoted as the Kibla of the believers and
Kaaba, the Arab sanctuary, was bestowed this honor. The policy of ethnic
cleansing (of banishing and slaughtering Jews) was adopted.
Now the Prophet consciously started elevating Islam
above Judaism and Arabs above Jews. Bible declares (Genesis 17-18) that God made
an everlasting covenant with Isaac (the Jewish patriarch), but now the Quran
says (Cow:115) that the God made covenant with Abraham and Ishmael (the Arab
patriarch). So, earlier Jews were the God's chosen people, now the Arabs are the
chosen people. Thus, among all people of the world, God chose two Semitic
tribes, the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael (the two sons of Abraham) as the
best. Among these two tribes He chose the descendants of Ishmael (the Arabs) as
the best. Among Arabs, God chose Quresh (Mohammed's tribe) as the best people,
and from this clan He chose Muhammad as the best of all men. On the day of
judgment, Muhammad (and nobody else) would occupy the right-hand side of God's
throne with a power of intercession ( Waseela) to forgive sins and act as a
medium to paradise (Christians make the same claim for Jesus).
The portrait of Allah as seen from the Quran is not a
pretty one. He resembles more a Mafia don than a loving and caring father. Allah
says that He has created man for no purpose but worship and adore Him (The
Scatterers:55). Every possible sin can be pardoned, but Shirk (worshipping
anything besides Allah) is the only unpardonable sin in the eyes of Allah. Allah
sings His own glory that there is no God but He, He is the King, all-holy, all-
peaceable, all-faithful, all-preserver, all-mighty, all-compeller, all-sublime,
all-wise, all-forgiving, all-merciful, and so on. The unbelievers in general,
and idolaters in particular, are the filth of the earth, and must be destroyed
by whatever means, fair or foul. God says in the Quran "Then when the
sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take
them captive and besiege them, and prepare an ambush for each of them,.... Those
who disbelieve our revelations, We (God) shall expose them to the fire.... As
often as their skins are consumed, We shall exchange them for fresh skins (and
burn again and again) that they may taste the torment.... Accursed, they will be
seized wherever found and slain with a fierce slaughter.... Idolaters and their
gods are fuel of hell.... The fire is the reward of Allah's enemy, payment for
denying Our revelation.... Disbelievers are an open enemy to you,.... Murder
those disbelievers.... and let them find harshness in you,... The idolaters only
are unclean,... Those who won't accept Islam are to be killed. When you
encounter the unbelievers, strike off their heads, until you have made a great
slaughter among them.... How many populations have we destroyed.... Humiliate
the non-Muslims.... These are just samples of the Allah's threats to his
children for disobeying and disbelieving Him. But are the unbelievers (kafirs)
so vile as to deserve the Allah's wrath. No! Allah preordains who shall be a
believer and who shall not. He says so in many places (none can be believer
except by the will of Allah....). Allah says that He has Himself led unbelievers
astray. He has deliberately put them---complete with their obstinate unbelief,
their scheming and treachery---in the way of believers so as to test the
believers. In other words, the believers will have to fight them, they must
fight them---till the unbelievers submit (accept Islam) or they are
exterminated. How interesting! Allah creates unbelievers (kafirs) by his will
and then visits them with the most terrible vengeance for disbelieving Him. Poor
kafirs! While on this earth the believers humiliate, torment, and then slaughter
them. When they are dead, Allah tortures them for eternity. And all this, not
because kafirs want to disbelieve Allah, but because Allah wants them to
disbelieve Him and wants then as targets for practice by His believers. Surely,
this no-win situation of kafirs must have caused many people to become Muslims.
Of course, the Muslims fully believe all this to be the word of God. This is why
the author observes "Revelation is the greatest medium of brainwashing
because this is the agent of faith, which shuts down all doors of reasoning.
The Author wonders about such a jealous, vengeful,
cruel, unstable, and unjust God who desires constant worship from man. "Is
worship really noblest desire? In fact it is the lowest wish a being can have
because it is the worst form of flattery. Someone who wants to be praised all
the time is a maniac who has lost all sense of decency. He is a danger to his
own dignity as well as to the self-respect of those who are required to creep,
crawl, and cry before him. Desire for praise is a human weakness, and urge of
dominance happens to be its fountain. The concept of Allah as all- powerful,
Absolute and totally independent is negated by the Quranic depiction of Allah as
desperate for being loved and worshipped. He curses and swears at the
unbelievers. He mocks and misleads them and threatens them with the most
sadistic punishment of flaming hell, and also bribes them with paradise full of
beautiful virgins. He repeatedly asserts that He is the most Terrible Avenger
and His retributive punishment knows no bound. He hates those who do not
prostrate before Him and recommends their slaughter until they are wiped out or
submit to His will." The author asks, " Is it really the character of
true God? He cannot be the Creator. If He were, He would have created the man to
obey Him because praise, worship, and submission are his greatest desires, whose
unfulfilment makes Him so unhappy and ruffled. If He cannot make Himself happy,
how can He have the ability to make other people happy? Especially, when His
happiness solely depends upon the deeds of man, He cannot be God." What is
He then?
The author claims that it is not Allah who created
Muhammad, it is Muhammad who created Allah in the tradition of revelation
discussed earlier. Allah is a factotum (handyman) of Muhammad and does whatever
Muhammad wants from Him. Allah tells believers not to walk in front of the
Prophet or raise voice above that of the Prophet. Allah tells the believers how
to enter the house of the Prophet, how not to stay there, and not to indulge in
idle talk when they are in his house. The Prophet was surely capable of giving
such instructions. Even in such fundamental spiritual matter of Kibla, Muhammad
wants it to be changed from Jerusalem to Kaaba, Allah does it. Muhammad says
that the previous divine books Torah and Bible had been corrupted, but God has
guaranteed the integrity of the Quran. Is it not amazing that God did not think
it fit to protect His other books, only the Quran! Why? It is the same thing
with the tradition of God to guide every generation through his prophets such as
Adam, Noah, Joseph, Moses, etc. Now, suddenly Allah changed his mind. He made
Muhammad the last prophet. No more prophets after him, only the impostors.
Although Allah declares that no man can change the word of God (Cattle:30),
Allah allows Muhammad to be above His laws. A Muslim is allowed four wives
simultaneously, but Muhammad was allowed more wives (He had nine). A Muslim must
be equitable to all his wives, but the Prophet can suspend any of them. Ayesha,
one of the Prophet's wife was displeased when the Prophet was taking yet another
wife (Khaula bint Halo). Then suddenly Allah revealed to Muhammad that "
You may suspend any of your previous wives that you please". Poor Ayesha
realized her predicament and capitulated saying "Allah hurries in pleasing
you." Another wife Hafza found the Prophet in her bed with another woman (Marya).
That was Hafza's day to be in bed with the Prophet according to the rotation
system. She was mad, and the Prophet promises her not to transgress again. But
immediately Allah sends revelation that the Prophet is absolved of any oath
(66.1) so that he is free to break his promise. We see this again and again in
the Quran that God makes or changes laws to suit the Prophet. The only function
of Allah seems to be to secure the pleasure of Muhammad. The true Creator and
all-powerful God will not dispense or bend his laws to please a man or legalize
his actions.
According to the author, this clearly shows that Allah
is Mohammed's creation and Allah's duty is to give supernatural sanctity to
Mohammed's words and deeds. Observe: Revelations are received by Muhammad for
the benefit of Muhammad. Moreover, these revelations cannot be independently
verified because only Muhammad (and nobody else) can receive them. If any one so
claims, he is a heretic whose punishment is death. Thus, Muhammad is the Judge,
the jury and the executioner. Even a banana republic has better checks and
balances in its constitution. We all accept the cardinal principle of the modern
science that a Truth must be independently verifiable by anyone who is willing
to take the trouble. But Islam (indeed every revealed religion, including
Judaism and Christianity) shuts its door to any verification of its claims.
It is also clear that though the Quran in the beginning
treats Muhammad as Human, eventually, like Moses, Mohammed appears as God's
superior. A person does not rank as a believer until he loves the Prophet more
than his father, his children and all mankind. Muhammad is as great as Allah
because the former like the latter, has 99 attributes. Obedience to Muhammad
becomes as compulsory as to Allah and gradually the Prophet shares authority
with Allah. On the last day of judgment, the criterion of judgment shall not be
the quality of deeds but who has loved the Prophet most. All unbelievers will go
to hell with unspeakable torture for eternity even if they led virtuous life.
But any murderer, rapist, thug, etc., who ever mentioned Mohammed's name
affectionately even once in their life-time and believed in his Prophethood
would go to paradise. This is in reality Shirk (worshipping others with Allah),
which is unpardonable sin. According to the author, this exposes the true nature
of revelation, that is, it serves the tool of dominance-seeker who wants to be
loved and worshipped by his fellow men by projecting himself as God indirectly.
Although idolatry deserves hell in Islam, Muslims vied with one another in
gathering Prophet's (trimmed) hair, nails as divine objects. If this is not
idolatry, what is?
The author makes a convincing argument that the prophet
was in reality an Arab national leader aiming at establishing a system of Arab
imperialism. This he does by shifting the God's covenant from Isaac (Jews) to
Ishmael (Arabs), by shifting the Kibla from Jerusalem to Kaaba, by making Quresh
(Mohammed's tribe) as the God's chosen tribe (Moses had declared Jews as the
chosen people). Moses created Jewish nation in the name of Yahweh. Muhammad
created Muslim nation in the name of Allah. Sahih Al Bokhari volume 8 says
" Even the most virtuous and capable non Arab Muslim cannot legitimately
rule. This exposes the racial nature of Islam and the much-vaunted Islamic
principles of equality and democracy a myth." The Arabs have acquired the
status of a nucleus whereas the non-Arab Muslims have gladly become their
satellites in the hope of gaining paradise. The Prophet says that he will not
open the gates of paradise to those Muslims who are not friendly with the Arabs
(Sahih Tirmizi, vol. 2, pp. 835,840). The author marvels at how Muslims of
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and African origin deny nationality of their own....
They have no national histories... and cling to the Arab history, which they
call the "Islamic history" for having some kind of identity, no matter
how inferior.
The author believes that to ensure victory of his
nationalism, the Prophet used a two-pronged strategy of "stick and
carrot". Stick (eternal torture of hell) for those who do not follow him
and carrot (eternal pleasure of heaven with most beautiful virgins) for those
who follow him. He also formulated the doctrine of Jihad (fighting against
unbelievers) for taking over their country, personal possessions and women, and
subjugating them to Arabian hegemony. The Quran says " God has bought from
the believers their selves against the gift of paradise.... They kill and get
killed." If a Muslim soldier wins, his life becomes paradise on this earth
because of the booty and plunder he receives by way of wealth and women. If he
is killed, he goes straight to the paradise. What a philosophical temptation to
murder and pillage! Since Jihad is against the unbelievers, the Prophet created
unlimited opportunities for holy wars by declaring all religions false and
ungodly. The Quran says " And whoever desires a religion other than Islam,
it will never be accepted...." (3.85). the Prophet declared that he was
commanded (by Allah) to fight against people ceaselessly until they confessed
that their was no god but Allah and Muhammad was his messenger. Author further
states that these holy wars were, in fact, the wars of national ambition and
gives several examples of wanton cruelties of the Prophet, who also emphasizes
that "war is deceit" (Sahih Al Bokhari, vol. 4). Thus, the author says
"one can see Islam is not a message of mercy but a secular code like all
other contemporary codes. To perpetuate opportunities for war to keep the
Mujaheddin (warriors of Allah) on war footing, Islam is based on the hatred of
non-Muslims." He then goes on to give many quotes from the Quran to
buttress his argument about hate mongering such as "Muslims must wage a
struggle against the non-Muslims and be harsh with them ... Slay the idolaters
wherever you find them... God has cursed the unbelievers and prepared a blaze
for them, and so on.
One is amused at the description of heaven and hell. In
heaven, a believer gets to enjoy 70 divinely beautiful virgins (Houris) with
swelling breasts which are round and horizontal (not drooping). To enjoy these
houries every faithful will be given the virility of 100 men. Moreover, this joy
is for ever (eternity). The author reminds here that Jihad (the holy war) is a
duty laid on the believers to destroy the unbelievers in return for paradise.
This is what made people believe that the reward of Jihad , i.e., killing and
robbing the non-Muslims in the name of Allah is paradise. Without the
expectation of such a reward, Muslims would not have fought with half the zeal
that they displayed in eradicating the non-Muslims. To highlight the effect of
paradisiac delight, the Prophet narrates the doleful plight of hell in
contradistinction. For instance, nonbelievers will be tortured by burning their
skins, given new skins to burn again and again and again. They will have to
drink boiling water, that tears their bowels asunder, etc.
Author then dissects the political claims of Islam such
as the Islam offers democracy. Not true! The first four rulers (Caliphs) were
appointed. After the battle of Karbala, the Islamic Caliphate became a dynastic
rule or kingship. Islamic claim that the rule of the first four Caliphs was a
golden period of Islam is also not true. Of the four, only Abu Bakr died
naturally. The other three were assassinated. The pillaged wealth and the
abducted daughters and sisters of the foreign nations (Egypt and Iran were the
earliest victims) lent the golden touch to this Arab era. They claim that Islam
is a socialistic system. Nonsense. Islam openly declares that Allah makes king
whom he likes, and gives wealth to a person he chooses. They say that Islam is a
religion of brotherhood. Thousand times no! Islamic hatred for non-Muslims makes
Islam the opponent of human rights. This is the reason that one cannot find many
non-Muslims in Muslim countries. A Muslim cannot be executed for murdering a
non-Muslim. Muslims can have a mosque in the holiest places of Hinduism, but
nobody can build a temple, a church, or a synagogue in Mecca. Association of
Muslim with a non-Muslim is forbidden by the Quran, and the membership of the
United Nations by all Muslim nations is un-Islamic. What a model of
international brotherhood it is!" They say that Islam is a religion of love
and peace. A million times no! Islam glorifies violence and sanctifies murder
and pillage of the non-Muslims and abduction of their women for spreading the
name of Allah, who calls himself the Most Merciful, yet he sanctions the basest
form of cruelties to those humans, who do not acknowledge Him as the Divine.
Murder, rape, pillage, abduction, etc., are the worst form of moral vices, yet
Allah adores them as virtues for the Crusaders (Mujaheddins) who subjugate the
non- Muslims to the yoke of Islam. One is baffled by such a morality which has
been invented to initiate aggression."
So far the response of the Muslim world is
hand-wringing, cursing, death threats, vituperation and a fatwa on the Shaikh.
No refutation of his claims. They seem to have no arguments to refute Shaikh's
impeccable scholarship.
Islam: The
Arab National Movement
101 pp. Paperback
Principality Publishers, Cardiff, Great Britain
Distributor:
A. Ghosh
Publisher,
5740 W. Little York,
Suite 216,
Houston TX 77091, $ 7.50
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